Rectangular lenses are best for making a prop scouter.
In the manga and anime "Dragonball Z," some of the characters have a device called a "scouter," which is capable of assessing the fighting power of other characters. A scouter will enhance your Dragonball Z costume. Making a scouter requires a few ordinary materials. A lens from a pair of sunglasses is the ideal shape and size for the clear part of a scouter.
Instructions
1. Remove the lens from the sunglasses. In many instances, you can take the lens out by unscrewing the frames. Rectangular lenses best resemble scouters. In addition, scouters are shown in green, pink, purple and blue, so sunglasses that are one of these colors will look the most accurate. Scouters are worn on the left side. Because the right and left lenses are shaped slightly differently, use the lens from the left side if possible.
2. Make a box from the thick cardboard, cutting out the pieces with a scissors and taping them together. The box must measure about 4 inches long, 2.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches deep. These measurements can vary according to your preference, but the box must be large enough to fit comfortably over your ear. Scouters are slightly tapered toward the top. Making a box with tapered sides is slightly more difficult, but if you are able to, this will make your work easier and more accurate.
3. Cut a strip of thin cardboard that is 1 or 1.5 inches wide. Bend it so that it forms a curve. Tape one end of the strip to the edge of the top of the box, perpendicular to the long sides of the box. When the box is over your left ear, the curved strip must go around your face. This strip will hold the lens, so it must be long enough to hold the lens over your left eye and not so long that it covers your eye. Make sure that the scouter will fit you before proceeding.
4. Cut drinking straws to go around the bottom of the scouter. Dragonball Z scouters have a round edge at the bottom. Tape the straws in place.
5. Cut or tear the newspaper into strips that are about 1 inch wide. In addition, cut a sheet of plain computer printing paper into strips of the same size.
6. Mix some papier-mache paste. Make papier-mache by mixing flour and hot water in equal proportions in a metal, glass or ceramic bowl. If it is very dry out, add a little more water; if it is humid, add a little less. You can stir with a spoon, but using your hands helps to work out flour lumps.
7. Dip strips of newspaper into the paste and run them between your thumb and forefinger to remove excess paste. Smooth each strip over the scouter, covering the box, lens and curved piece. Cover the open side of the scouter, as well, creating an enclosed box. Only use a few layers at a time. Let the scouter dry for several hours before adding new layers. Keep a reference image handy. Add layers until you are satisfied with the shape and the scouter feels solid. Do not add too many, or the scouter will become too heavy.
8. Cover the scouter with papier-mache and strips of computer printing paper as the final layer.
9. Cut a hole in the papier-mache at the back of the scouter with the scissors, slowly enlarging it until your ear fits inside.
10. Sand the scouter.
11. Paint the scouter using acrylics, then seal with a gloss finish sealer.
12. Glue the lens from the sunglasses to the curved part of the scouter. Use a glue that is capable of sticking to plastic.
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